It is well known to use a sidepocket mandrel in a well tubing having an orienting sleeve for aligning a kick-over tool for installing and removing flow control devices from the sidepocket of the mandrel with a discriminator in the mandrel above the pocket as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,741,299.
However, as the sidepocket mandrels are required to be used at greater depths in the wells, under increasing pressure conditions, and under deleterious environmental conditions, various types of constructions have been utilized to minimize the number and types of welds used to increase the strength of the mandrel and overcome the well conditions. For example, see U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,106,563; 4,197,909; 4,333,527; and 4,416,330. Obviously, the strongest mandrel could be made by machining the entire mandrel out of a piece of stock thereby providing a mandrel without any welds whatsoever. However, the cost of manufacture of such a mandrel would be prohibitive.
The present invention is directed to an improved sidepocket mandrel which reduces the amount of welds required, and in particular reduces the amount of extended structural welds, but provides a mandrel which can be manufactured at a reasonable cost.